It’s not hard to agree with James Deyermond (“After State of the Union, Maine is faced with a choice,” March 1) that fraud should be rooted out from government expenditures wherever it occurs. Perhaps there is some fraud in Medicaid payments in Maine. What I find troubling is that Mr. Deyermond, as chairman of the Maine Republican Party, seeks to be reiterating a Republican Party agenda that only looks at problems in Democratic majority states.
Is there Medicaid fraud in Florida, Texas or Alabama? I bet there is! And why is there only voter fraud in states that win Democratic majorities? And, why is that whenever there is bad news it turns out to be fake news?
Richard Hackel
Chebeague Island
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.